A story about Carlsberg founder JC Jacobsen, his son Carl, and their struggle to create a brewing company, and simultaneously a look at fifty years of Danish history.
When old brewer Chresten Jacobsen is carried into the brewery yard with another stroke, 15-year-old Laura arrives in Copenhagen. She is going to visit the Jacobsen family, and she tries hard to get into the life of her cousin Jacob. But he only has eyes for his beer brewing and the girl he is in love with.
After Chresten's death, Jacob is now the brewer in Brolæggerstræde, and he has great ambitions to brew proper beer. However, even after a study trip to Hamburg and many attempts, he fails. Meanwhile, Laura longingly observes from the kitchen regions that everyone else is getting engaged or getting married. Caroline is aware of everything that is happening in the family, and she uses her means of power discreetly but firmly.
JC and Laura attends the coronation of Christian VIII — and they're aware that the time of absolute monarchy is soon over. Shortly afterwards, Laura gives birth to a son, who dies after only ten days. While she's burdened with grief, JC throws himself into work. Fortunately, Laura becomes pregnant again and gives birth to another son, Carl — but in the meantime, JC has also secretly fathered another son.
Little Carl does not live up to JC's high expectations and is pressured by his father's 'you can do what you want' philosophy. JC is also unhappy with his wife Laura and is rarely home – he spends almost all his time at the brewery, where he works on a large and innovative expansion.
Carl begins his schooling and becomes an easy victim of ridicule and teasing. JC works tirelessly with the construction of his new brewery – Carlsberg in Valby – and simultaneously takes an active part in political developments, as the autocracy is on the decline and the country goes to war. Laura feels more and more powerless in relation to both JC and Carl.
When Carl and his only friend are no longer allowed to play together, Carl is left completely to himself and his imagination. JC uses his few free moments to introduce Carl to science and art, but is generally dissatisfied with his son's achievements. The war against the Schleswig-Holsteins claims its victims — and then the great cholera epidemic breaks out in Copenhagen.
Carl has graduated high school, but continues to struggle to live up to his father's great expectations. JC has become the leading industrial magnate of his time and gives large gifts to the public. Meanwhile, Danish soldiers are going to war again — and Carl wants to join and fight for his country.
Denmark has lost the war to Prussia and Austria, and the defeat is humiliating for the survivors and the government. In that atmosphere, JC and Laura celebrate their silver anniversary, which ends in rage and tears when Carl tells about his future plans. Carl gets engaged without his father's knowledge — and JC demands that the engagement be called off.
JC works with great energy on rebuilding the brewery after the fire. But he misses his son, whom he still won't allow to return from abroad – primarily because of Carl's continued contact with Emilie. Laura gets a new socialite, who quickly becomes much more interested in JC than Laura.
JC lets the returning Carl start his own brewery as a branch of Carlsberg. But Carl struggles, as JC has only contempt and anger left for his son's initiatives and ideas. JC has also chosen his future daughter-in-law — but things don't quite go as planned.
JC and Carl are now competing in all areas. Although their villas are located side by side, there is only sparse contact between the two brewing families. But Carl has a good marriage with Ottilia, who is a great support to him – also when JC really tightens his grip and wants to include Carl's brewery under his own.
The mutual hostility between JC and Carl is cemented when JC drags his son through a humiliating trial. Carl takes his revenge thoroughly when JC later gets into trouble at the brewery. Ottilia tries to get them to make amends while Laura asks JC to be a grandfather to her three grandchildren, whom he doesn't even know. Is reconciliation possible?
